CMS Confirms ICD-10 Deadline

October 1st, 2015, is the deadline for healthcare providers to implement the twice-delayed ICD-10 code set, federal officials confirm.

HHS will release the final rule, Administrative Simplification: Change to the Compliance Date for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD–10–CM and ICD-10-PCS) Medical Data Code Sets, in the Federal Register August 4.

The one-year delay will allow US healthcare providers to reap the benefits of ICD-10 as soon as possible and is also the least expensive option, HHS stated in the final rule.

CMS was adamant about keeping October 1, 2014, as the compliance date. However, Congress passed H.R. 4302, "Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014" in March. The bill included this statement:

The Secretary of Health and Human Services may not, prior to October 1, 2015, adopt ICD–10 code sets as the standard for code sets under section 1173(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2(c)) and section 162.1002 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations.

President Obama signed the bill into law April 1 and as a result, HHS was forced to move the ICD-10 implementation date.